The fitness habits I’ve kept for ten years are almost boring. Three to four lifting sessions a week, mostly compound movements — squat, deadlift, press, row. Enough cardio to keep my resting heart rate where I want it. Sleep as close to eight hours as I can manage.
That’s it.
Why boring works
Every few years a new training framework comes along that promises better results with less effort, or more results with different effort, or some clever manipulation of intensity and volume. Some of it is worth reading. Almost none of it is worth switching to.
The problem with optimizing your training is that you spend a lot of mental energy on the optimization and less on the actual work. The work is what produces results. Consistency over years outperforms any clever protocol you can run for a few months.
What I actually track
I track sessions completed per week and a handful of key lifts. That’s it. I don’t track calories, macros, or body composition with any precision. I eat mostly whole food and enough protein. The rest of it takes care of itself.
If the key lifts are trending up over time and I’m completing my sessions, things are working. If they’re stagnant or declining, something is off — sleep, stress, volume, food — and I look at one variable at a time.
The point
You already know the basics. Lift things, move your body, sleep, eat food. The difference between people who are in good shape at 40 versus those who aren’t is almost never information. It’s execution over years.
Start simple, stay consistent, adjust slowly. That’s the whole thing.